VII Party Congress concludes, von Friedeck elected for fourth term

The Citizens’ Party of Sandus has concluded its Seventh Party Congress, despite a record low turnout. The Party met under the slogan “Uniting the Proletarian Nation” and focused on policies to reinvigorate the Sandum nation and to encourage activity in the part of Sandum citizens and Party members. The five-point agenda focused on national activity, the composition of the Central Committee, the Party Platform, a Party award, and the election of a new Party Secretary.

The discussion focused predominantly on the matter of the first point of the agenda, “Strengthening national unity and citizen involvement through the Party.” Participants of the congress focused on three areas of possibly development: top-down or statist solutions, bottom-up or grassroots solutions, and Party-specific solutions.

The statist solutions included the improvement of Sandum infrastructure, focusing especially on the creation of a Sandum mailing list and other infrastructure. The Sôgmô discussed in particular the creation of a Privy Council and establishing a rotating schedule of informal “tea” chats, where Sandum citizens would be encouraged to take part and to talk with other citizens. In addition, the congress also focused on the question of determining if every citizen’s interests were met by the current mission of the State of Sandus; this solution, meant to raise national consciousness and to open up a discussion on the purpose of the micronation, was considered alongside the Party-specific solution of surveys. Further statist solutions included a new initiative to expand citizenry and to even invite new Sandum citizens in accordance with Sandum laws, and to reward citizens’ and Party members’ activity through the work of the CCE.

There was only one bottom-up or grassroot solution, namely to have the Central People’s government to arrange a projection which an individual citizen could do. Such a project can take any form, including cultural, personal, and political, and the Sôgmô offered þess previous ideas of a photo journalism project on national cuisine and religious life in Sandus.

The Party-specific solutions focused on two broad areas of interest for the Party: the Commission for the Command Economy (CCE) and a disciplinary apparatus for members. The idea of having the CCE survey Sandum citizens was related to discussion concerning the purpose and interests of the Sandum State, while an idea for economic activity rubrics was related to discussion of rewards for citizens’ and Party members’ activity. A disciplinary system of the Party, like those found in other political parties, was floated to encourage activity in Sandus. Related to discipline, the Party resolved that Party members must perform 1-2 projects per year and that, by doing so, members would receive certain tangible benefits. Punishments for inactivity were not discussed.

The Party Secretary discussed his appointment of two provisional members to the Party’s Central Committee, in accordance with the constitution, but declined to discuss the subject further because of the Congress’s low turnout. It was not clear whether or not the Central Committee would continue as a sitting body as the Party Secretary sought the approval of the Party Congress. Nevertheless, he stated that both he and the Sôgmô agreed that það would not be a member of the Central Committee, “lest the constitutional balance be disrupted.”

Following several years of promises, the Party Secretary reiterated that the Party will draft a Party Platform and expects it to be prepared for ratification within six months.

The last agenda point for discussion was the two leaders’ plans for an award given by the Party, known as the “Gracchus Prize.” The Congress resolved to create the award, which will be bestowed by the Party Congress each year, and to authorise the Central Committee to consider criteria for the prize. Future nominees will be proposed on the level of the Central Committee while the Party Congress will have final authority to ratify the honour.

At last, the Party held its necessary annual election for the position of Party Secretary, the highest office in the Party and the second-highest office in the State of Sandus and the Central People’s Government. With no other candidates for the office and with none in opposition, Adam Camillus von Friedeck was elected to a fourth term as Secretary of the Citizens’ Party of Sandus by unanimous acclamation.